The Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (NETRF) continues to build a global community of researchers as scientists from around the world recognize they are eligible to apply for NETRF research grants. Over the last two years, NETRF has awarded nine awards to international researchers. This is a number that is expected to continue growing. As a result of the 2021 Request for Applications, NETRF has received grant applications from 22 different countries.
We credit growing awareness of NETRF among the international research community, in part, to our collaboration with the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS), which recently held its 18th annual conference. NETRF was proud to both participate in and support this educational effort aimed improving the diagnosis and treatment of NETs.
NETRF Director of Research John Kanki, PhD, explains, “NETRF shares ENETS’ global commitment toward the biological understanding and treatment of NETs and with our funding support of NET research on the rise, we feel it’s important to also contribute to the global dissemination of the most recent NET research and clinical findings. NETRF provided funding support for this year’s ENETS Presentation Prizes to encourage the participation and engagement of the global NET research community.”
NETRF-supported prizes for the ENETS “best abstracts” were awarded as follows:
Basic Science
First place
Kenta Kawasaki, Keio University School of Medicine, Japan
Project: Establishment of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms Organoid Biobank Enables Genotype- phenotype Mapping
Second place
Talya Dayton, Hubrecht Institute, Clevers Group, Netherlands (NETRF-funded researcher)
Project: A Patient-derived Organoid Model of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms Enables Long-term Growth In-vitro of Low-grade Tumors and Reveals Therapeutic Vulnerabilities
Clinical Science
First place
Riccardo Laudicella, University of Messina, Italy
Project: Artificial Intelligence Applications in 68Ga-DOTA PET/CT images: Prediction of Response Assessment in GEP-NETs Undergoing PRRT with 177Lu-DOTATOC
Second place
Uli FEHRENBACH, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
Project: Automatized Hepatic Tumor Volume Analysis of Neuroendocrine Liver Metastases by Gd-EOB MRI – A Deep Learning Model to Support Multidisciplinary Cancer Conference Decision Making
NETRF was also pleased to present during the conference at the INCA/ENETS Symposium. Chief Executive Officer Elyse Gellerman gave a presentation on the NETRF’s Cell Line Project and the continuing efforts to encourage patients to donate their tumor tissue. The program is a collaboration between NETRF, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University and Pattern.org to develop publicly available NET cell lines that can be shared with any researcher, in any laboratory, anywhere in the world to foster meaningful research.
To learn more about how to accelerate the search for cures, visit our page on Tumor Tissue Donation